Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used the country’s 34th Independence Day to reaffirm Kyiv’s resolve in its fourth year of full-scale war and to renew a call for a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he described as “the most efficient way to peace.” In a national address, Zelensky vowed that Ukraine would “never again be forced into the shame that Russians call compromise” and insisted that the nation would still be celebrating its independence a century from now. His appeal came as diplomatic efforts orchestrated by U.S. President Donald Trump struggled to gain traction. Trump, who met Putin in Alaska on 15 August and hosted Zelensky at the White House three days later, praised Ukraine’s “unbreakable spirit” in a letter released Sunday and said Washington supports a negotiated settlement safeguarding Ukrainian sovereignty. Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, accused Kyiv of setting impossible conditions and claimed Western governments were seeking to block talks. While political maneuvering continued, both sides traded some of the war’s heaviest drone barrages in weeks. Ukraine’s air force said it downed 48 of 72 Shahed drones and a ballistic missile launched by Russia overnight. Moscow reported intercepting 95 Ukrainian drones across several regions, including one that ignited a transformer fire at the Kursk nuclear power plant; officials said the blaze was quickly extinguished and radiation levels remained normal. Leaders from Europe, North America and Asia sent Independence Day messages of support, including King Charles III and French President Emmanuel Macron, while rallies backing Kyiv were held as far afield as Tokyo. Despite the expressions of solidarity, the front lines remain largely static, with Russia still occupying roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory and no immediate breakthrough in sight for a negotiated end to the 3½-year conflict.